Filing drawer



Sept. 18, 1928;

F. c. MORSE FILING DRAWER Filed April 4, 1927 InvgnTov Frank C Morse ATfomew Patented Sept 18, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,684,842 PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK C. MORSE, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGN OR TO BROWN E-MORSE COMPANY, OF MU'SKEGON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN FILING DRAWER.

Application filed April 4., 1927. Serial No. 180,764.

This invention relates to a filing drawer and is more particularly concerned with the substitution of a novel spacing means in filing drawers to take the place of and eliminate the follower usually present in drawers of this character.

The follower is mounted for slidable movement in the drawer near the inner or back end thereof and when material is placed in the drawer the follower is moved forward to bear against and press the material toward the front. With additional material placed in the drawer the follower must be released.

The follower type of filing drawer is subject to disadvantages, particularly in that it is many times hard to examine the papers filed, as the same are held in almost vertical position, usually are pressed rather tightly together by the followerand said follower 1s subject to difficulties in its slidable ad ustment to different positions in the drawer, many times cramping and binding when movement thereof is attempted.

With my invention a plurality of inclined spacing plates are mounted between the sides of the drawer and are spaced apart in the length of said drawer, thus dividing the drawer into filing compartments. These plates serve as backs and fronts of the differcut compartments and are pivotally mounted so the same may be swung and thereby separate the upper portions of two ad] acent spacing plates a considerable amount and permit the separation of the material filed at the upper exposed edges so it can be readily examined. Moreover the invention which I have made is very simple and economical in construction, is readily made and assembled and is durable in servicerand none, of the dis advantages of cramping or binding are present, such as appear in the slidable follower construction.

The invention is fully described in the fol= lowing description and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sect on through a filing drawer equlpped with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section therethrough, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective'view of one of the spacing plates,

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the difierent figures of the drawing.

The filing drawer is of any conventional construction, being made of sheet metal havlng parallel vertical sides 1, a bottom 2, a back 3 and a front 4. The details of the specific construction of the drawer need not be set forth as the invention is not in any manner concerned with such constructive details.

In each side 1 of the drawer near its upper edges the metal is pressed outwardly then upwardly and then turned inwardly, making channels 5, one in each side of the drawer, as best shown in Fig. 2;

In the bottom 2 a plurality of short rcctangular openings 6 are cut, there being pairs of such openings transversely of the bottom of the drawer, the pairs being spaced from each other. Between the sides 1 of the drawer a plurality of spacing plates 7 of sheet metal are located, one of these plates for each pair of openings 6. At each vertical edge of each plate an integral tongue 8 narrower than the width of the channels 5, projects outwardly therefrom and at the lower edge of each plate two spaced-apart tongues 9 extend downwardly, the same being of a size to pass readily through the openings 6 in the bottom 2 of the drawer, and after the same are passed through said openings cotter pins 10 are passed through perforations in the tongues 9 so as to retain the spacing plates in the drawer.

When the spacing plates 7 are placed be tween the sides of the drawer l and the tongues 9 entered into the openings at G, the sides 1 of the drawer may he sprung apart at their upper edges sulliciently lor tongues 8 to pass into the channels 5 or, preferably, the plates may be twisted somewhat or enough so that the tongues Scan pass beneath the upper flanges of the channels 5, in which case it is not necessary to spring the sides of the drawer apart.

As thus constructed plates 7 are spaced apart desired distances and each may be swung through an are forward or backward, the limits of which are prescribed by the lower edges of the tongues 8 coming against the lower flanges of the channels 5 in which they are located. It is, of course, evident that this invention is not limited to a drawer having side channels as indicated at 5, for the same result will be secured by merely locating the tongues 8 to lie above the upper edges of the drawer, in which case the lower edges of the tongues bear against the upper edges lilo . If the drawer is to receive a small amount of filing matter it can be placed in the first compartment between the front 4 and the first plate 7, and as the matter to be filed increases it can be placed in succeeding compartments; or material. referring to different,

matters may be placed in different'compartments. The plates 7 may be swun away from each other at their upper ends. stance, the plates 7 areall shown in their rearwardl inclined position in Fig. 1, but if access is desired to material filed in the second compartment of the drawer the plate 7 at the front of said second. compartment may be swung forward and the material filed inthe second compartment belseparated at its upper edges much more readily than heretofore so that examination is rendered easy.

This construction, while simple, is one of merit and is a valuable improvement in connection with filin drawers. The elimination of the following block results in a con- I siderable saving of space, inasmuch as the combined thickness of all of the plates 7 is materially less than the thickness of the follower block heretofore used so that in each filing-drawer of standard size a saving of filing capacity of at least oneand one-fourth inches is attained. Saving of space in filing results not only in a less number of filing drawers being required but also saves'a corresponding amount-of floor space which, in high rental ofiices, is a material consideration. The elimination of the follower block also eliminates the normal tendency of the block to slide back in the drawer when the drawer is slammed shut. This occurs many times with a separation of the material filed in the drawer, causing it to fall down and making it difficult to refer to.

While a practical and specific form of construction has been illustrated and described .said channels, and tongues extending it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact disclosure shown.

For instance, other'means of holding the lengthwise thereof with an open inner side,

and said bottom being formed with openings therethrough, a .plurality of spacing plates located in the drawer extending between the,

sides thereof, tongues extending from the vertical edges of each plate and passin into below the lower edges of the spacing plates into the openings in the bottom of said drawer.

2. A filing drawer comprising, sheet-metal spaced-apart vertical sides, each of said sides adjacent its upper edge beingbent outwardly a short distance, then upward and then bent inwardly whereby a channel opening at its inner side is formed len thwise and at the upper edge of each side of the drawer, a plurality of sheet-metal plates located transversely of the drawer in spaced-apart relation, said drawer having 0 enings therethrough, tongues extending rom the lower edges of the plates through said openings, tongues extending laterally, one from each vertical edge of each plate into said channels,

said channels being of a width greater than the width of the last-mentioned tongues, and means passin through the tongues at the lower edges 0 said plates below said bottom for'retaining the plates in the drawer.

. In testimony whereof I aflix m signature.

FRANK C. ORSE. 

